Las Vegas man pleads guilty to raping 3 mentally ill women

SANTA FE — A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to raping three women shortly after they were released from the state psychiatric hospital in northeast New Mexico.

The Santa Fe News Mexican reported Tuesday that 75-year-old Benjamin Baca faces between two and seven years in prison as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Baca is accused of befriending women who moved into area boarding houses after being released from the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas. Managers of the homes testified had been seen befriending mentally ill women.

He was accused of 15 counts stemming from allegations of sexual assault by four women. He pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal sexual penetration. The other charges were dismissed.